Chapter 431: Wu Princess

"What the f*ck?" Ji Dengtu was laughing and chatting with King Liang, reminiscing about their glorious past campaigns in the west, and for a moment, he felt young again.

However, the moment he turned his head and saw such a shocking scene, the feeling of being glorious one second and then finding his home stolen the next almost made him explode.

Anger value from Ji Dengtu +1024!

He charged forward like a madman, but was immediately stopped by the imperial guards around him. They could allow a soft, harmless young girl to approach the condemned prisoner, but there was no way they would let a strong, master fighter come close.

These imperial guards were not to be trifled with, and with the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, even with Ji Dengtu's cultivation, he couldn't break through for a while.

This only made him angrier.

Anger value from Ji Dengtu +999+999+999...

What did it feel like to watch his carefully raised "little cabbage" be "rooted out by a pig"? He felt he could write ten storybooks on this very topic.

King Liang also quickly stepped aside to block his path, chuckling, "Mr. Ji, don't worry too much about young people's affairs."

"Of course, as an old friend, I should remind you: if you don't want your beloved daughter to become a widow, you'd better find her a new son-in-law soon. This one probably won't live much longer."

Ji Dengtu: "..."

What the hell kind of son-in-law? Why would I need to find a guy that even Chu Zhongtian doesn't want? No, wait, my daughter is so lovely; she shouldn't be ruined by some son-in-law or anything. Just hearing those words annoys me.

At this moment, Ji Xiaoxi finally separated from Zu An, covering her crimson face, and turned to run away.

Ji Dengtu glared fiercely at Zu An: "You rotten brat, how dare you bully our Xiaoxi! If you don't give me ten or eight storybooks next time, even if the Emperor doesn't kill you, I will!"

After speaking, he rushed to chase his daughter, calling out Xiaoxi's name tenderly as he ran. He cursed himself for being foolish enough to bring his daughter to see Zu An today. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have read his storybooks.

But he really wanted to know what happened next in the storybooks, damn it...

King Liang watched the farce unfold, speechless, wondering what exactly made Zu An so attractive to women. No wonder Sang Qian was so furious when he learned his wife and Zu An were arranged in the same prisoner cart. It must be because they were both from Brightmoon City and already knew his devastating effect on women, which was why he was so worried.

If Sang Qian, who was nearby, had known his thoughts, he would surely have exploded with anger.

Was I afraid of Zu An's charm? Whose wife wouldn't feel uneasy being with another young man?

"Stop looking, stop looking! Let's continue!" King Liang waved, and the procession resumed.

Zu An licked his lips, looking as if he hadn't fully recovered.

Zheng Dan, beside him, said somewhat sourly, "Miss Ji's sweet kiss might have been delightful, but you don't need to savor it like that, do you?"

Zu An chuckled, saying nothing. With so many eyes and ears around, it wasn't convenient for him to speak much. At that moment, Ji Xiaoxi's secret message to him echoed in his mind: "After reaching the capital, if you encounter a life-threatening situation, try biting open this pill. It's a 'feigned death pill' I refined. After taking it, for six hours, you'll appear exactly like a corpse; no one will be able to detect a difference. Whether it helps you escape depends on your luck."

Earlier, while kissing him, Ji Xiaoxi had pushed something against his teeth. Now, he had an extra tooth seemingly out of nowhere. He felt it; it was indistinguishable from a normal tooth. He wondered how she had managed to install it so perfectly in that instant.

The little girl's tongue was so nimble; if it were used for other things...

Zu An's old face flushed, and he silently chastised himself for his sinful thoughts.

Speaking of which, even Xiaoxi, who was usually so timid, had mustered the courage to come see him. But why hadn't there been a single trace of Big Manman or Sister Shang and the others? He had originally thought that given their relationship, they would at least come to see him off.

Hmph, women truly are heartless. Otherwise, I'd definitely spank your bottoms.

Hmm, no, Big Manman would need to be spanked somewhere else...

As Zu An entertained himself with idle thoughts, the procession continued grandly along the main road.

Suddenly, he noticed Zheng Dan beside him seemed uncomfortable. He then realized the sun was shining directly down, and the prisoner cart offered no shelter. Girls are always conscious of their appearance, and a young lady like Zheng Dan would usually take all sorts of sun protection measures when going out. She had never experienced a day like this.

So he immediately started making a fuss, and King Liang and Liu Yao quickly arrived, looking at him annoyed. "Now what?"

Zu An said, "I want to change carts."

"Why?" Both of them stared at Zheng Dan. Wasn't it pleasant enough to be with such a beautiful woman?

Zu An said, "This prisoner cart is open on all sides, and I'm being gawked at the whole way, like a monkey in a zoo. And just now, because this cart has no cover, I got 'taken advantage of' by a woman."

As soon as he said this, everyone present mentally went "MMP," wondering if they should say anything.

You call what just happened "being taken advantage of"? Your tongue was clearly having such a good time! If that's being taken advantage of, then bring it all to us!

Anger value from the imperial guards +666+666+666...

King Liang gritted his teeth as well. This fellow really takes advantage and then complains about it. But remembering Zu An's previous threats, he still snorted, "Guards, bring a canopy and set it up over the cart."

Who knew Zu An would quickly shake his head: "I'm not riding in a prisoner cart. I want to ride in *your* kind of carriage." As he spoke, he pointed to their spacious and grand luxury carriage.

"A carriage?" Liu Yao immediately laughed. "Who do you think you are? A condemned prisoner wanting to ride in a carriage?"

Even Sang Qian in the other prisoner cart secretly cursed him as an idiot for making such an impossible demand.

Zu An, however, remained calm: "I know I'm a condemned prisoner, and not just any condemned prisoner. The Emperor merely wants my 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' which I have memorized entirely. If you treat me well on this journey, I might just tell him everything readily once we reach the capital. But if you make me uncomfortable, I'll tell the Emperor that it was your fault I didn't want to speak."

"Whether you speak or not won't be up to you then," Liu Yao sneered. "Besides, the Emperor is wise and mighty; how could he be fooled by your petty tricks?"

Zu An smiled slightly: "You can try. Anyway, switching me to a carriage is a trivial matter for you, with no loss involved. On the contrary, if you annoy me, you'll incur some unknown risks. For instance, I might tell the Emperor that you privately interrogated me about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra'."

"Don't talk nonsense!" King Liang and Liu Yao's expressions changed instantly. They didn't think the Emperor would believe Zu An's reluctance to speak was because they hadn't kept him comfortable on the journey, but if Zu An accused them of coercing him about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' that would be a huge problem.

This was a method for immortality, specifically requested by the Emperor. What would their intentions be if they, as subjects, tried to get their hands on it? While they could explain themselves, it would be far too risky.

Zu An then continued, "Oh, and there's something else I should mention. The news about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra' has surely spread. It won't be long before various groups arrive upon hearing about it. This prisoner cart has no cover, making it easy for them to see my condition from afar and then formulate all sorts of plans. What if a stray arrow comes flying and I die? How will you explain that to the Emperor?"

At this point, Huang Huihong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, spoke up indignantly: "With us guarding you, no arrow can reach you, even if one is shot."

"Arrows shot by ordinary masters certainly can't escape your interception," Zu An said. "But what about higher-level cultivators? For example, an arrow shot by a Ninth-Rank master, a Grandmaster, or even a Great Grandmaster?"

King Liang and Liu Yao's expressions changed. The possibility he mentioned truly existed. It was well known that there were many in the world who didn't want the Emperor to achieve immortality, and it wouldn't be impossible for a Great Grandmaster to be dispatched for that purpose. Although their escort force was strong enough not to fear a direct confrontation with a Great Grandmaster, if one shot an arrow from afar, they truly wouldn't be able to save Zu An in the prisoner cart in such haste.

Considering this, King Liang ordered, "Vacate General Liu's carriage and let him move in. General Liu, you can share a carriage with me."

Liu Yao's face had been extremely dark, but it softened slightly when he heard the latter part of the order.

Zu An pointed to Zheng Dan beside him: "And her, because..."

Before he could finish, King Liang waved his hand, feeling weary. "Alright, don't say anything more. Let Miss Zheng join you." He had already experienced this fellow's verbal skills. If he were allowed to speak, he'd probably conjure up a whole heap of absurd arguments. It was better not to listen, to spare himself the annoyance.

Sang Qian, nearby, immediately whimpered in distress. He hadn't expected them to actually agree to Zu An riding in a carriage, let alone agree to Zheng Dan joining him!

Anger value from Sang Qian +1024!

After all, in the prisoner cart, there were only iron bars, and at such close proximity, it was easy to see what was happening inside. But now they were moving to a carriage. These important figures' carriages were always tightly enclosed, so if anything really happened inside, he wouldn't be able to see a thing.

King Liang snorted, "With so many people guarding around, anything that happens inside will be clearly visible from the outside. You don't need to worry about such trivialities." After that, he couldn't be bothered to deal with Sang Qian further, clearly believing that even a single explanation was already a courtesy.

He and Liu Yao returned to their carriage. The two men were already somewhat at odds, and now sharing a carriage, it was inevitably a bit awkward. Thinking that all of this was caused by that brat Zu An, they all silently fumed.

Anger value from Zhao Yi +233!

Anger value from Liu Yao +846!

Clearly, Liu Yao was even more enraged because his carriage had been "taken over by a cuckoo."

The two sat in the carriage in silence, the atmosphere quite awkward. Finally, Liu Yao broke the quiet by finding a topic: "After we leave Linchuan Commandery, we'll be passing through King Wu's territory. Do you think he'll..."

King Liang shook his head: "Probably not. King Wu, being the Emperor's illegitimate son, has always been low-key in his conduct. He shouldn't harbor any improper thoughts."

"That's good," Liu Yao sighed in relief, then chuckled. "This King Wu is also excessively low-key. Others marry into prominent noble families, but he married a woman from a third-rate minor family to be his consort."

King Liang smiled: "Although King Wu's consort doesn't come from a high-ranking family, it's said that she's divinely beautiful, possessing a face that could topple kingdoms. Everyone jokes that King Wu loves beauty more than power."

Liu Yao snorted: "Even if he had married a daughter from a prominent noble family, this empire would still have nothing to do with him."